Sinking a boat with minimal damage

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JackOfDiamonds

Jewish Space Laser Operator
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I'm a Fish!
Hey all,

I know the title might sound weird at first but hear me out.

My friend has recently purchased some property to build his future family home .
He is interested in building a small pond (about 70x50ft) in what will be his back yard with a full thriving eco system (fish , birds, plants, frogs etc.)

He was speaking about the idea of sinking a boat as a center piece in the middle which will also double as a home for the fish. (He plans to swim & snorkel in it )
The boat in question is an old fishing boat , about 20ft long, wooden hull.

Because im helping him out with the build and the move he asked if i could help him come up with a way to sink the boat with out the obvious "take an angle grinder and go wild" approach.

He is interested in keeping it as intact as he can and we are planning to maneuver it into place using lift bags and sinking it precisely in the middle.

The biggest problem i encountered is trying to get it so sink whilst in the water, if ill drill holes into it while on land it will be close to impossible to move it to the center of the pond and it will likely go down as soon as it hits the water.

What kind of approach would you take? what would you use? im afraid if i cut a massive hole in it with an angle grinder it will just ruin the whole "center piece" idea (my friend is kind of artistic ) but im also afraid a bunch of holes with a drill wont do the job.

The boat is already stripped clean of any electrical wires , paint etc . ready to sink.

Would appreciate any tips or advise .

-Shachaf.
 
If you want 0 damage to the hull, you can just pump it full of water with a sump pump, but it will want to capsize, so make sure that there is adequate support from lift bags and shore lines to prevent it from rolling over. Float it out to where you want it, then start pumping water in.
 
He is interested in keeping it as intact as he can and we are planning to maneuver it into place using lift bags and sinking it precisely in the middle.

Why are you using liftbags? It seems to me that if you need liftbags. you're well on your way to having it sink! Just let some gas out and down she goes!

Assuming I'm misunderstanding, you should be able to position it, tie or anchor it fore and aft, and either pour or pump water into it. You might toss a bunch of rocks/gravel into it first to overcome wood's natural buoyancy.

We sunk a retiring old dive boat years ago that was about 35' long. The owner wanted to drop it in about 50' of water. We just loaded a bunch of rocks into it (also great hatchery habitat) until she was low in the water. A pump on the tow boat and a few minutes later, she was on the bottom.

It isn't always possible to control how a sinking boat will settle, unless you lower it down with a crane, but with a small boat like this, in shallow water, righting it would be fairly simple.
 
Why are you using liftbags? It seems to me that if you need liftbags. you're well on your way to having it sink! Just let some gas out and down she goes!

Assuming I'm misunderstanding, you should be able to position it, tie or anchor it fore and aft, and either pour or pump water into it. You might toss a bunch of rocks/gravel into it first to overcome wood's natural buoyancy.

We sunk a retiring old dive boat years ago that was about 35' long. The owner wanted to drop it in about 50' of water. We just loaded a bunch of rocks into it (also great hatchery habitat) until she was low in the water. A pump on the tow boat and a few minutes later, she was on the bottom.

It isn't always possible to control how a sinking boat will settle, unless you lower it down with a crane, but with a small boat like this, in shallow water, righting it would be fairly simple.

I was planning on a lift bag because i was not sure how i would get it to the center with out sinking it first so i figured ill maneuver it whilst its in the water but that is my last resort because it will be a long tedious process .

But your idea definitely seems like it can work , ill grab a couple of big boulders (i haven't exercised enough lately any ways) and chuck them in.
Ill try to tie ropes in both ends to try to keep it as straight as possible and pump some water in .

Ill probably attach the lift bags prior to it going down just so i can control it better once it sinks or if it should tilt.

Now i need to try and get my hands on a good pump because i have slight suspicion my 40Gallon an hour pump wont really cut it
 
That is a small pond. Fine for fish but I would be very concerned about water quality for snorkeling in. Most fish ponds I have seen were not places I would want to snorkel with out a major filtration and water system.
 
That is a small pond. Fine for fish but I would be very concerned about water quality for snorkeling in. Most fish ponds I have seen were not places I would want to snorkel with out a major filtration and water system.

He bought 2x systems designed to filter water and mimic natural environment like currents & temperature .

Each system on its own can handle about 3/4 of the estimated water volume (about 300,000 Gallons) so 2x should get the job done perfectly even if they are slightly burdened.
 
Now i need to try and get my hands on a good pump because i have slight suspicion my 40Gallon an hour pump wont really cut it

Or sit in the boat in your gear, take a bucket and get busy! Virgin wreck and all that!
 
If he hasn't filled the pond yet, even better. Make a place to rest the boat, put holes in the bottom and sides, fill the pond through the boat. Since wood boats without machery, sometimes with, float, some rocks and/or gravel in the bilge would be a good idea.


Bob
 

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